In June 2012 the owner of Cardiff City FC Vincent Tan made the decision to rebrand the club. Last Friday he made the momentous decision to return our team to blue and next season, to restore the bluebird on our badge. I honestly thought this would never happen under his regime. What were the factors which lead to this ? Tan has claimed his mother, a devout Buddhist, told him to bring unity and togetherness back to the club. He has dismissed totally the influence of a long and hard-fought struggle on the part of the fans, which was going to be intensified over the coming months. Tan's rebrand was opposed from the beginning and , initially, he did state it wouldn't happen, only to go back on his word. He openly lied to the supporters. When it was instigated he actually said that red was his lucky colour, though it was widely reported that he had chosen red because it was lucky in the Far East. Many pointed out that Malaysia played in blue and that there was, in fact, a Malay bird called a bluebird! He also claimed that there would be a large demand for red shirts in the Far East, though this was illogical given the massive competition from Man. U, Arsenal and Liverpool. In other words, the rebrand made no sense from the start, especially as Tan claimed to lift the dragon emblem from the Welsh flag, thus creating more confusion. However, many fans accepted it as a condition for further investment in the club and, as long as we were successful, were prepared to go along with it. Others boycotted the club instantly, believing it had become the plaything of a billionaire and ceased to belong to them in any way. I chose to stay on but join in every protest to return to blue and also the badge. I believed - ' Without our history we are nothing....we might as well be machines!' Free red scarves were handed out at our home game v. Brighton on Feb. 2013 and a number took them only to fling them onto the field. We were divided almost 50/50 and even friends were in opposition over the rebrand. One friend believed that Tan's threats to pull out were genuine and never acknowledged that all his investments were loans which the club would one day have to pay back with interest. Tan promised to convert the debt to equity and he has never done so, thus ensuring that we are in the same precarious situation which existed under Sam Hammam. That same friend eventually came round to joining the 'back to blue' cause. The sacking of manager Malky Mackay (which, in retrospect, was perfectly understandable) seemed at the time all part of Tan's megalomania and the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - who never stood up to the owner - proved a disaster. This season, the attitude amongst the vast majority of fans has changed radically. Being cynical, our lack of success certainly gave those who'd embraced the rebrand an excuse to change. From being divided, we became united behind the call for blue to be restored and the loudest chant during the games was on 19 minutes 27 seconds with - 'We're Cardiff City / We'll always be blue!' Brentford fans made themselves very popular by joining in. All the fans' organisations played their part, from the Supporters' Club to the Trust; but it was the group called Bluebirds Unite , led by Sian Branson, who were the most driven and passionate. They were all present at the meeting last Thursday night and articulated their views with such fervour and emotion that chairman Dalman and chief exec. Choo couldn't help but be impressed. Fan power was the most important factor in this. The cumulative effect of protests, boycotts and a campaign not to renew season tickets was destroying any credibility in the club. Manager Russell Slade (who'd replace Solskjaer) began to argue two weeks ago that the atmosphere at our stadium was seriously affecting the players and Slade's own influence on Tan's decision cannot be underestimated. The commercial side of the club was being hit really hard. Red shirts sales were minimal and, in recent months, even the most ardent season ticket holders stopped going, which affected match-day revenue. After last Thursday's very positive meeting - which avoided direct criticism of Tan, but unanimously urged a return to blue and our traditional crest - the owner had no choice. If he had continued with red he would've been completely isolated, without even the support of chairman and chief executive, let alone manager and team. There is a strong argument mooted that Tan is preparing to sell up. Certainly, he hasn't attended one game all season ( after professing to have fallen in love with the sport). The appointment of a manager with no Championship experience on a lower salary, the sale of assets like young Norwegian international Mats Daehli and the signing of players out of contract this year for small fees, hardly suggests that Tan sees the Premiership as a goal. He has collected football clubs like Solskjaer did players and it may be that the return the blue is a plan to make us more commercially viable before he gets out. There have been many rumours of consortia , but nothing absolute. Ultimately, the club was on a rapid downhill descent adorned in red and, as a businessman Tan must've listened to Dalman and Choo and looked at the figures. The idea of his mam saying - 'Little Vinnie, the bird builds nests and the dragon burns them down!'......makes as much sense as his early question about why David Marshall (our keeper) didn't score more goals! The real respect and thanks should be given to all those fans who campaigned, protested, wrote to the Malaysian press and even got banned for raising banners of dissent. The story of our return to blue is all about the remarkable power of supporters to make a difference to the club they love and to win back an identity which should never have been taken away.

I wrote this poem just after the Board meeting last Friday and the announcement of our return to blue.

BLUEDAY

For this Saturday, just for onceI'll be celebrating even if we lose.

For me, y diwrnod glas,the happiest of bluedays.

Cynicism will be left behindin the fog of the dank hills;

because we are one againteam and fans reunited

in sound and motion, a placereclaimed but also grown.

Once again WE without wariness ;smiles returning, birds from another clime.

As a poet you have an image to live up to. In terms of excess the stereotype is Dylan Thomas, so if you aren't an inebriated womaniser you're lacking what it takes to be a real artist. In terms of dress I don't think Dylan set the standards (or lack of them). I tend to blame Ian MacMillan and his effervescent shirts. With Zephaniah, he's the most conspicuous poet on telly after all. I once read with him at Blackwood 'Stute and was completely dazzled by his shirt....not to mention his superior performing style. All this was brought home to me once when I agreed to do a Plaid Cymru benefit in Bedlinog. The other guest poet was from Newport - their official laureate , he claimed - who someone commented 'really looked like a poet!' This person eyed my Michael Foot-style duffle with great suspicion. Casnewydd's finest was all swirls of colour and flowery patterns : he could've stepped straight from one of Michael Horowitz's 1960s happenings. Unassociated with my dowdy dress sense, I caused a bit of a stir by reading a dialect poem about a Labour Councillor whose political progress was down to her ability at blow-jobs! (It was meant to be a local take on the then current Clinton-Lewinski scandal and was totally fictional). However, one Plaid member was very offended and accosted me on the bus home to Merthyr for my 'filth'. I've never been one for trends and only ever wore platform shoes as protection against a snappy Jack Russell who always attacked me in Barry. I admired music by The Who, Small Faces and later The Jam without wanting to dress like a mod. I was into punk, yet the nearest I came to wearing a black bin bag was getting tangled in one while putting the rubbish out. I did like many bands who weren't part of any movement and created music nobody could readily pigeon-hole, least of all themselves. This was embodied by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Soft Machine and solo artists like Tom Waits and Robert Wyatt ( the man in the cartoon). It was only at Uni that I tried to express who I thought I was through the way I dressed and I must've looked a right sight! I think I wanted to stand out in khaki hat sporting a half-moon motif, worker's blue jacket randomly splattered with white paint and anti-badge ( i.e. badge with only a reflective surface). One English lecturer was perplexed enough by the bucket hat to ask if the moon was symbolic. In retrospect, it might well have been a small tribute to the great Rob Wyatt, whose 20 minute song 'Moon in June' was one of my favourites. It often caused consternation for my grandparents who thought I couldn't afford a proper jacket and also fellow train-travellers convinced I was going on a painting job. My mirror badge was always just a brief talking-point. While I may have wanted to mirror a Zen master, I might've been better off wielding the inevitable staff they used on the path to enlightenment. It is possible that understated or mundane dressing can cause equal confusion. My wife blames the fact I was mistaken for a UKIP supporter on my rather dowdy but nondescript hat. Not a deer-stalker or trilby mind, but a nothing hat worn for warmth and comfort. I'm not convinced by this theory. I just think she doesn't like the hat! Sometimes sheer practicality can dictate fashion. I'm currently reading Marcus O'Dair's excellent biography of Wyatt 'Different Every Time' and he explains that Rob's penchant for drumming either naked or in his undies came from his early days in Majorca, when it was simply too hot to wear clothes and play the drums. For a lot of people it's what you can afford, though Prismark have opened up a lot of opportunities, albeit using sweat-shop labour in some cases. I really do believe you aren't what you wear. The chicest most glamorous people can also be the most shallow and those who choose practicality have other priorities in their lives than mere outward attraction. I saw in schools the constant clash between uniformity and individual expression and all it did was elevate the importance of clothing, when it should've been put in perspective. In the end what matters is that Wyatt was an amazing drummer and if it helped to play in his underpants then so be it.

Merthyr. Cardiff. Linked by the River Taf and a shared history built on iron and coal, but some would say little else. When I taught in Cardiff most had never been to Merthyr ; city folk so parochial. Then there's the vernacular, of course : Valleys' up-down intonations against the squashed vowels of the city. it's also true of the footie teams and my current dilemma is only accentuated by this. Recently I've returned to watching Merthyr Town FC, the Martyrs at Penydarren Park, now the E-Ciggie Stadium. It's a club owned and run by the supporters and the egalitarian spirit is ubiquitous. My friend the the financial Whizz, who's largely responsible for balancing the books, can be found in the street before every game holding up a 'Car Park Full' sign. Just imagine Vincent Tan doing that at Cardiff City! He'd be mobbed by discontented fans and there's no telling what use they'd make of the sign! Merthyr's Candac Suite - once the preserve of chairmen like John Reddy and their guests - is a bar open to anyone. Alongside flags for the club is a large red one with '1831' on it, confusing visiting fans into thinking that the club was founded on that important day in working-class history. Merthyr are doing extremely well; top of the Evo-Stik Southern League by 8 points and managed by local 'boy and ex-Wales international Steve Jenkins( I remember meeting his mam in the old Tescos and her talking about an injury keeping him out of the national team). They have a perfect combo of youth and experience, from eager and pacey youngsters like Corey Jenkins and Adam Davies, to old hands like Gavin Williams and Ryan Green, who've done their time in many League teams. Under Jenkins and assistant Stevie Williams (who played with my son in the same Penydarren team) Merthyr play football as it should be played : on the deck, with intense closing down and excellent movement off the ball at all times. They're a joy to watch : confident, organised and very fit. I saw them play Didcot in the FA Trophy , go 3-1 down , yet still come back to draw 3-3 with a last minute goal....they never gave up. They destroyed a hapless Bashley 6-0 ( though it should've been 10) and outclassed Cinderford 4-0, despite the latter having a very good defensive record. I've thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with old friends there and tasting the best curry and chips around. It was strange v. Cinderford as Merthyr played in a 1914 commemorativestrip, while Cinderford's kit was exactly like Merthyr's usual home one. Two old fells who arrived late were totally disorientated and started cheering for the opposition! My friend suggested it was the 'Tan effect'. The contrast with Cardiff City is as stark as the accents. Cardiff : owned by one man, Vincent Tan, who still hasn't turned up to a home game this season. Cardiff: managed by Tan's appointment Russell Slade, who has failed to bring the necessary flair, fire and anything like total football. Cardiff City, the Bluebirds : my team for over 38 years, who seem destined to 'do a Portsmouth' and plummet down the leagues. Cardiff : still play in red despite the fact that almost every fan sports the blue and bluebird badge and the most sound we make every game is on 19 minutes 27 seconds.......'We'll always be blue!' It's worse than an omnishambles....it's a megashambles! Tan will not back down on the blue, even though it's commercially counter-productive. I talk to season ticket holders every week who say they won't return until he goes.....not glory-seekers, but die-hard fans. Will the empty seats convince him? My namesake, aged 26, has started a campaign not to renew season tickets for next season. I'm in a real dilemma. The Martyrs represent everything I want from football and I won't give up following them when I can. Cardiff represent so much of what I loathe about the game. Yet, as a fellow fan and once editor of the fanzine WTBF! told me - 'it's like an addiction....I couldn't stop if I wanted to.' Now that my younger daughter is very enthusiastic, it has even renewed my allegiance. Am I about to run away because we're playing so appallingly and the atmosphere's like a graveyard? I am cynical because so many fans bought into the red when we were successful and have now abandoned it. I believe the team, even club, are so much bigger than Tan and most of us will be there long after he has gone in search of other investments. We need to blue and badge back desperately to unify the club, but I can't see him backing down. Though I've not resolved my dilemma, I am inclined to stay and fight on ; it's more than addiction, it's a fundamental part of my past and that of family and friends.

STOP POTCHIN' !

for Nick

Cardiff and Merthyr are so different :25 miles apart yet the A470could almost be a border.

'You'd 'ave been nothin' without our coal!'I used to tell my Set 1 classso full of their grades ;

This year I've taken part in a number of important protests : at the Senedd against opencast at Nant Llesg ; in Cardiff against Israel's barbaric treatment of the Palestinians; in Newport against the NATO warmongers summit there and an anti-bedroom tax march also in the capital. Yesterday in Merthyr I joined with many others of the Left to Stand Up to UKIP outside their recently-opened shop at the bottom of High St. It was an indication of what we can achieve when working in unison : anarchists, Greens, Commies, Plaid Cymru, unaligned like myself and even left Labour (I think). While the event was a great success, I often wonder why we can't stand together on a platform FOR something, rather than always AGAINST. So much left-wing politics is purely reactive. We see a racist threat and respond to it with passion and energy, yet we need to put the same drive into offering alternatives. Of course, the Red Poets is just one of those alternatives : performing group and magazine who try to stand for co-operation and equality. Now we need a collective of the many such groups who strive for a very different society, one where everyone is valued and talents are fully realised and rewarded; where wealth and schooling can't buy you power and privilege. Maybe, out of a united opposition to the appalling policies of UKIP such a collective will emerge and what better place than Merthyr, which rose in 1831 under the red banner to take control of the town till British soldiers shot many people down and Dic Penderyn was hung , as a scapegoat, in Cardiff? It's possible that nothing will come of this unity......could anarchists really agitate alongside Plaid Cymru, the former wanting no borders and the latter an independent country? Well,Saturday was a glimpse of what can be done and a reminder of the Welsh Socialist Alliance which, in Merthyr certainly, worked well to bring the Left together. While Saturday's event may have exposed the disturbing prejudices of UKIP candidates - one is caught on video claiming to have witnessed a gay person having sex with an animal! - we need to do far more to bring to the people our message of HOPE not FEAR. I spent most of the time leafleting and met a few UKIP supporters, who yelled at me about democracy and then either refused a leaflet or tore it up in a couple of instances. The appeal to base emotions of blaming new-comers to our community for problems created elsewhere is akin to fascist parties and it's little wonder that leader of the EDL Tommy Robinson has declared support for them. All their policies lead back to the evils of the EU and immigration, despite the fact that their last election campaign was part-funded by expenses obtained by their MEPs! They are masters of hypocrisy! Farage's recent attempt to blame his tardiness in getting from London to Port Talbot for a Conference on high immigration levels is typical. Despite all this , they retain popular appeal and, sadly, Merthyr is no exception. It's so much easier to point the finger at in-comers from Portugal or Poland, rather than view the wider picture. For me, that picture is crucially one of British imperial history. Just like all other colonies, Cymru has now been largely abandoned because we no longer supply the coal and iron which made Britain so 'great'. Also, cheaper labour can be obtained from other countries , shipped like slaves by ruthless employers, including Welsh UKIP MEP Nathan Gill, whose family business used immigrant workers. Divide and rule was the choice weapon of Empire and now in a vain attempt to keep Britain together. What better way for the Westminster Gov. and their allies in the City to divert and distract, than to focus constantly on the very agenda set by UKIP? UKIP are not the English Independence Party : they are avowed patriots in a British sense which can only appeal to those caught up in the nostalgia for war. Their advocacy of Grammar Schools typifies this and has no basis in educational reasoning. They were abolished because they simply didn't work. So many of those condemned at the 11 plus to a life of struggle against being dubbed as failures proved that the system had failed. We need a revolution in education, where learning becomes exciting and children no longer spend their whole lives being trained for exams. Creativity must be the core of the curriculum. As ever, UKIP preach division. However, it's no use the Left just exposing their crass contradictions and the frightening racism and homophobia of so many candidates : we must offer genuine alternatives. And even if we can't agree on whether Cymru should have self-determination, we have to appeal to people's better nature, their desire to see a clean, green world where crazy inequalities and rip-off companies are consigned to the spoil-heaps of history.

Wayne-O Pijin still intends to stand for Merthyr in the next General Election, despite dropping out of (or, should I say, down from) his course at the local Cooo - ollege. I caught up with him at his new favoured perch at the Old Town Hall, Redhouse. Things haven't been going well for Pijin of late, with several scandals associated with his campaign. Firstly, his Campaign manager Al-Wings Jones was accused of being a Cooo-omunist when he suggested that all pigeons be allowed access to cafes , restaurants and bakeries. Then a photo went viral on the bird media site twitters of Wayne-o Pijin apparently smoking a joint. Pijin denied this immediately, saying that it was merely a long chip which was steaming as it was very hot. He added - 'Who needs to get high when you can fly up whenever you want?' Some of the stories being circulated about him he dismissed as ludicrous. 'They claim in the press that I've had over 30 wives, yet it's a well-known fact that we pigeons couple for life. The encounter with the dirty dove was a one-off and totally in error.' Despite these set-backs, Pijin seems ready to take on all the major parties and demolished each one in turn..... 'The Greens? They talk about recycling, but we go ahead and carry it out every day. Labour want to knock down our Food Tubes just because we control them....a sure sign they are worried. The Tories would have us all shot like clay pigeons and those LibDems are just seagull spies in suits and ties. Plaid Cymru has a leader in favour of gun ownership....say no more! UKIP would shut down all the Polish shops down town, thus depriving us of the tastiest of sausage bits. No, Pijin Power is the only way!' When I accused Pijin of hypocrisy, leaving his course yet living in the eaves of the College's own Redhouse, he went into an irate flutter. 'You accuse me of hypocrisy when the No-Wings do all they can to encourage seagulls at our expense? Just look at the huge landfill site? It's like a great feast for those bloody scavenging gulls....we don't get a look in! I then put it to Wayne-O that he was being as divisive as the very parties he was attacking. 'No way! I've said this so many times I'm sick to the beak....we are doing the No-Wings a massive service, yet getting shat on! If it weren't for us they would be knee-deep in thrown-away food and vomit! They'd be suffocating in their own waste.' Finally - before flying off to a Cooo-onference entitled 'Seagulls Don't Belong Here' - Wayne-O Pijin left me with a forceful comment - 'We're local birds, born and bred. We belong here yet we're being forced out!......Ask yourselves, is that fair?'

Aging ? Yes, I think I'll give it up! When a catalogue arrives in pre-Christmas post and the main feature's a spray called Erecton which guarantees an immediate erection (complete package for about £300), you know the ages targeted. The diagram makes the cross-section of a penis look like a dog's bone which has been chewed. But it's totally changed the life of one Steve Hartis of Stockport, who's in his 70s but now going out with a 39 year-old he met in a restaurant (maybe his spray was on the table , next to his cheque book). I enjoy looking through these catalogues. They contain all you could possibly need for a contented old age, such as Sheet Suspenders and Mealtime Protector (the woman advertising this adult bib is obviously the same 39 year-old Steve met). There are Detox Foot Pads, a spray to deter spiders and a Portable Urinal. One day I might get to the stage where I'll require most of these and then I'll have to find a nice jungle to get lost in and hopefully bittten by some deadly insect......this won't happen readily in Merthyr! It's only when I read on that I realise why I've been sent the catalogue full of quack remedies and gadgets......yes, I did order that last year! No, not the spray or the most useful Waist Extenders which add inches to your trousers and save £££s, but the Tumble Dryer Converter. Now if it had been a device to convert my tumble dryer into a time machine.... In fact , it was to put the hose into, rather than out the window. (Steve from Stockport probably had hose problems before as well). In actual fact my hose was the wrong size, so the device was useless and now clutters the garage. Whenever I forget anything - such as ordering a pointless device, or major occasions like Christmas - I do begin to worry about the onset of Alzheimer's. Like giving dreadful presents and teaching, this is part of the Jenkins family history. My grandmother and many aunties and uncles suffered from it and it's an overriding fear. Every day I spell the word 'WORLD' backwards to myself, except when I forget to do it because my brain-cells have been destroyed by :- a. too much booze b. vital eye-drops c. X Factor, Casualty etc etc d. watching Cardiff City I can joke about it, yet know that what happened to my highly intelligent gran was nothing short of tragic. She was very well-read and, even in her early 80s, used to do an extremely difficult crossword every day. She had a very successful career as a Primary teacher when many young women gave up their jobs to look after children. I can't forget how she finished up in Bridgend Psychiatric Hospital on a locked ward, with absolutely no idea where she was or what day it was. Drugged into passivity to make her manageable to over-worked staff, it was no way to end her days. With age comes all manner of pills and potions, pains and ailments, yet I'm amazed when former pupils comment on my youthfulness. One recently said that I looked younger than her. It must've been that anti-aging serum Uvebindun that I bought from that catalogue last year for £250 along with the Converter! Like my brother I sometimes look in the mirror and see my father there. This only shows how bad my eye-sight has become, because I actually take after my mother's side of the family! However, in any argument the worst possible insult is always - 'You're turning into your father!' At that juncture the inherited vein bulges to the size of a crimson python and is ready to constrict anyone who could compare HIM to ME! After all, I am nothing like him! I've always modelled myself on his antithesis : the rule was, whatever he did must be wrong.

ZIG ZAG VEIN

I try not to look too closely in the mirrorto see him there, the frowning expression,but especially that zig zag forehead vein.

It's the only legacy or heirloomnow his body's been dissected, analysedand only a few photos remain.

A Humanist who didn't care for humansor animals for that matter (the horse he hauledalong the main road till it bolted,dragging him).

I wish he'd left me instead his head of hair; this jutting vein like a west Wales roador that car he couldn't control.

In anger, a snake of beating bloodon his red face, spitting sweatand driving to the skull's edge.

Do we all become Dafyddelified with age? Is it inevitable that, as we acquire mortgage and family responsibilities, we become naturally more conservative and wary, even cynical about political change? I always recall my Aunty from Swansea responding to my declarations of revolutionary anarchism with - ' Just you wait till you settle down with a job and family.....you'll soon have different ideas.' The support for UKIP among older voters and , in contrast, the overwhelming 'yes!' of the young in the Scottish referendum would seem to reinforce this. When you consider the careers of many so-called left-wing politicians ,their development mirrors that of Lord Dafydd Ellis Thomas, from darling of the left to establishment figure. 'But what about Tony Benn?' I hear some say,' a politician who retained his consistently idealistic views.' Yes, but he largely remained outside the spheres of influence and was, in some ways, a traditional advocate of the ascendancy of the British Parliament. The cynicism of a leftie like myself is only increased when you look at politicians like Leanne wood, leader of Plaid Cymru. Myself and many others joined that party to help get her elected, believing she was a genuine socialist and republican. Yet she has declared her own and her party's support for the Queen of England in the Senedd, appeasing the centre and right of her party from the very start. Plaid's general lack of concerted opposition to Labour's savage cuts throughout Cymru (I know there are exceptions in certain areas) only casts doubt on their socialist credentials. Above all, they have failed to come up with radical alternatives to Labour in the key areas of health and education. I left the party while others remained and carry on making excuses, arguing that a betrayal of principles is merely tactical. Her U-turn on the monarchy was actually explained to me by a socialist republican within the party as a successful attempt to out-flank Labour! In other words, Carwyn Jones was anticipating a 'Mrs Windsor' attack and ended up surprised by an anodyne acceptance of the antiquated, imperialist institution. He must have been chuckling to himself......Plaid now behaving just like Labour, whose republicans such as Roy Hattersley managed to conceal their views for ages in order to get elected! My faith in electoral politics as a serious force for change was undermined by this experience. I have moved back to believing that genuine change will only come from below and that people will gradually grow weary of celeb/lottery sofadom and rise up out of their chains....well, cushions! My Aunty was totally wrong, of course; yet also, totally right. Though I do yearn for a very different society - based on co-operation not competition, where no-one's talents are wasted and we care for the environment in every aspect of lifestyle - I also acknowledge that this may be impossible. If enough people are sufficiently anaesthetized by brain-cell killing popular culture, then how can the consciousness of the majority be altered? Alternative views of society can become part of the mainstream as in Russell Brand's version of the revolution, whereby all democratic processes are decried and largely borrowed anarchistic visions put forward. However, the referendum in Scotland did revive my faith in humanity temporarily. It seemed to comprise a remarkable fusion of socialist republicans, greens and nationalists : the awakening of a vision of a nation not based on austerity and callous profiteering. The stark reality of politics in Cymru soon brings disillusionment. Most mainstream politics is too afraid to offend and this is partly behind Wood's gradual Dafyddelification. Instead of arguing vehemently against the monarchy as a symbol of wealth, privilege and an anachronistic class system, there's a desire to appease the establishment, an overriding fear of media criticism and loss of votes. The theory that nobody changes the system from within, but is in fact changed by that system, is proven. I wonder if, at some later stage, cynicism will destroy my idealism completely. When I think of the distinct possibility of many Merthyr people - in the town of y faner goch - voting for UKIP, a pessimism sets in which is unfamiliar to me. We certainly need more Left unity and sharing of actions and ideas, but it's no use the Britleft carrying on as if it was the 1960s. Cymru, Scotland and the unresolved question of Ireland are a reality which won't go away and fighting for Palestinian freedom while denying it to these 'internal colonies' is an absurdity. Yet I do remain idealistic......a hopeless case maybe?

HOW SOON THEY BECOME.........

In high summer heat, July-japingand the whole school holidays stretchingahead like a beach just beckoning.

My daughter and her friends franticallyfilling water-bombs, fights on the Astroand the Close an arena of soaking conflict.

Then I heard them, those yelling put-downs,assumed it was a grumpy adultvaluing their property before kids' fun.

Saw her at a window glaring downat her precious car, shone to gleaming -'Get away! Play over there!'

Her angry tones sending them scatteringthe girl who, a decade before,had lead their games.

In a recent interview in Greggs, down town Merthyr Tudful, Wayne-O Pijin declared his intention to stand as a candidate for the Cooo-operative Party. Referring to it as the General 'Erection', Pijin explained that they were erecting walls, fences, roads and more in the Borough much to the detriment of his kind. Between corned beef pasty and jam doughnut, Pijin commented that the No-Wings (humans) were rapidly destroying his environment, especially with their plans to move the bus-station. He welcomed the growth of fast food outlets, but predicted the demise of the local chippy, though it wouldn't alter the dietary requirements of his ilk. He said that while there were increased opportunities for study with the opening of the new access-for-all Greggs, Merthyr still needed at least five additional ones to accomodate the growing pigeon population and its hunger. When I asked him what he thought of the present M.P., he was scathing -' I ave on'y ever seen im in a flak jacket on telly through people's windows. If we ad a full-scale Civil War in Merthyr between us an the No-Wings, I imajin ee'd turn up......arfter the conflict!' I then asked him how he responded when many people called him and others like him 'scroungers'. ' It's wha I do do for a livin mun. It's my daily job; that an bonkin.....an yew don' yer the media criticise us f'r that, do yew?' His election strategy was being managed by his Head of Campaigns Al-Wings Jones, a Zen Buddhist pigeon who spends a lot of time meditating on tree-tops. 'I trust Al-Wings. Ee might seem a bit static at times, but ee int stuffed! Ee'll sort an ewge election drop, no prob.'

His 'Birdifesto' makes interesting reading :-

1. Votes for all 'pijins' of all ages.2. Greggsology and Pijin Welsh to be part of the Core Curiculum in all schools.3. Retention and expansion of the 'Food Tubes' ( i.e. the bus-station). 4. Increase in fast food outlets at the rate of one per week.5. Julien Macdonald to be made into a saint because he favours the use of furry animals (predators to pigeons) in his clothing range and, as far as Pijin's aware, has never used pigeon feathers.6. In place of every statue of a boxer the erection (he now deployed the word positively) of sculptures of pies and pasties, which would provide perfect perches.7. Removal of all offensive spikes above signs.8. No vomit to be cleaned from the streets after Friday and Saturday nights, because although it's somewhat sour, it does introduce his kin to a taste of world cuisine.9. Introduction of a Cooo-operative Society at every level of : pavements, rooftops and ubiquitous roof trees.10. World heritage Status for all Merthyr's footbridges - secret treasures of the Valleys - to bring tourist 'pijins' to the area and enjoy those vantage points.11. The immediate abolition of opencast mining.

On the last point Wayne-O elucidated - ' It's no joke! With all the black dust in the air yew carn tell a pigeon from a crow. The mating implications are most unfortunate.' Finally, Pijin would like to see a massive Festival of Droppings every year in Cyfarthfa Park, with a formation fly-past and summary revenge on the No-Wings below for their historical mistreatment and abuse of pigeons.